Four Season Spring Oolong (oolong tea)

This gets better and better each year. Early Spring 2016. Surprising depth of flavor and great mouthfeel.

Considered an everyday tea in Taiwan for its consistency and value, it can be often overlooked in the connoisseur's tea vault. In this case, it would be an oversight, we think.

This tea has the traditional hallmarks of a great quality, lightly roasted, mid-elevation Taiwanese oolong - along with distinct white pepper notes and an incredible "lump in the throat" effect that is rarely found. This effect leaves a kind of slow buzzing feeling in the throat that will have you slowly nodding and smiling. A fantastic tea at a great value.

This is a tea from late March 2016, stored in vacuum seal. A rare organic Four Season Oolong from a small artisan farm in Taiwan. The Four Season tea varietal is relatively new and was created to not only withstand climatic changes, but produce abundant sweet tasting product.

One of our Artisan Reserve organic oolong teas, a line of small batch handmade teas from a craft handed down over generations. Hand selected for having all the hallmark qualities of the highest grades with notable personality accents.

Lightly roasted (20%) and perfectly sweet, this oolong reveals itself over several steepings. Hand crafted and grown organically in Taiwan and certified MOA.

AKA Shi Ji Chun

Customer Reviews

January 30, 2012 Review by Joe

Quality

Nice, light & refreshing. Slightly floral with notes of honeysuckle honey. Very similar taste to the Bao Zhong.

October 11, 2010 Review by Eleanor

Quality

Such a beautiul Oolong! Complex and harmonious, this tea must be steeped several times to appreciate the depth of its character.

February 22, 2010 Review by Gracey J.

Quality

I love this tea. This was my first entree into rolled Oolongs, and I'm totally hooked.

Basic Steeping Tips
- Use filtered or spring water, whenever possible
- Don’t over-boil water
- Remove leaves after recommended time (adjust to taste)
- If you want stronger tea, use more leaves instead of steeping for a longer time.
Leaves can be re-steeped 2-3 times resulting in various flavor differences. Don’t throw out those leaves until they have given it all up!

Polyphenol in oolong tea is effective in controlling weight. It activates the enzyme that is responsible for dissolving triglycerides. Studies have confirmed that a 2-3 cup per day intake of oolong tea contributes to enhancing the function of fat metabolism and controlling obesity.

This tea is generally considered an every day tea in Taiwan and expectations are not always high for this tea. Well, our grower Mr. Yu is indeed extremely meticulous and proud of his organic farm - and it shows. This Four Season has a boldness and personality rarely found in a Four Season. That is of course why we chose this tea for our 09 offering.

The Four Season Oolong is a varietal form of the Ali Shan Oolong in Taiwan. It was developed in the 1980s to be sweet, floral, and resistant to pests so that no pesticides ever needed to be used. It mostly comes from low altitude plantations, which make the tea economic and widely available. The flavor and quality of the tea remains the same regardless of which altitude it is grown at.

The tea leaves are harvested from early spring to late fall, and produced four to six flushes per year. The leaves are picked in the morning and left out in the sun to dry for a few hours. They are then transferred to round bamboo trays to dry for several more hours indoors so the leaves can slowly oxidize. Then the leaves are placed in a large tumbling dryer oven, which halts the oxidation process. The leaves are roasted then goes through a process of repeated rolling, kneading, and shaping. Finally, the larger twigs and course leaves and hand separated from the quality rolled leaves.

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About Us—Currently Obsessed With Oolongs

We are a homegrown Austin, Texas company comprised of a few die-hard tea freaks, lovers of fine foods, stewards of sustainable agriculture, and passionately dedicated to the human experience...

Tea is a great vehicle to reconnect. Click on the link below to learn more about why we are oolong obsessed, more about us and our business philosophy, and a fresh tutorial on tea.I want to know more »